You need grit to be great
You need grit to be great
#118 - it's getting real now
Hi there,
Perhaps I should forgive myself for being short of ideas this week. It has neither been an eventful week, nor is my mind in the mood for wandering and capturing ideas.
It’s not been all dull though, as we all try to savour the last few days of school. I’m lucky to have a full 5-period day on Tuesday, which means five ‘last lessons’ on that day. I’ve also been working on the Leavers assembly along with the school captain team, regarding which I’ve resorted to being kind to myself.
I haven’t been as super organised as I usually am with this kind of thing but hey, I’ve got my A-Levels in less than a month - it’s ok to not be totally on top of things.
Highlight of the week: a ‘pizza party’ with our Y13 officer team; it was a great chance to enjoy each other’s company, reflecting on the year that’s been and also enjoying some tasty pizza. I even got the chance to practise my poem-writing skills…have a look at the end of this post if you’d like to read it!
For a preview to this post, check out the following:
I’ve just come from doing my first ever 3 hour sit-down STEP paper, and boy was it gruelling. Luckily I’d chosen the 1999 paper, which wasn’t nearly as difficult as the 2019 one I’ll be doing in proper timed conditions in the upcoming week. It reminded me of this blog post above about grit and how I’d said “I’ve found a few more articles worth reading and even a TED talk from Angela Duckworth, an expert on the subject - she’s written a whole book about grit! I’ll read through them all, sieve through the sand and present you with pure gold another time”
Hence, here’s the TED talk and the key points you need from it:
From studying the results of her 7th grade maths class, there wasn’t a strict correlation between high IQ and grades. So it’s more than just intelligence.
Grit is passion and perseverance for very long-term goals, having stamina and sticking within your future for years by working hard to make your dream a reality.
It is living life like a marathon, not a sprint.
One way of building grit is having a growth mindset and believing that you can change your ability to learn with effort.
Steven Kotler, a peak performance expert1 went further with it and defined 6 types of grit:
The grit to persevere - what we think about usually, a mix of willpower, mindset and passion
The grit to control your thoughts - both the inner critic and the chatty distractor
The grit to master fear - dealing with the inevitable scares from aiming for the impossible and challenges
The grit to be at your best when you’re at your worst - which I referenced in the previous post
The grit to train your weaknesses - since you’re only as good as your weakest skill or ability in an area
The grit to recover - to regularly sharpen your saw and regain energy
[This is a really good framework on second thoughts, they are all crucial parts to long-term projects and success.]
The question then becomes how to develop grit. According to James Clear (a world-class author), there are 3 main steps.
Define what grit or mental toughness means for you
For me in the next 50 days, it’s going to be a) being able to sit in the same chair for 3 hours and do bloody difficult Maths and b) know to put the IPL and then World Cup cricket away when I know I need to get work done
Build grit with small physical wins
This is similar to the post about ‘1 more rep’ that I wrote a few weeks ago - When you actually want to fail
“Choose to do the tenth rep when it would be easier to just do nine. Choose to create when it would be easier to consume. Choose to ask the extra question when it would be easier to accept. Prove to yourself — in a thousand tiny ways — that you have enough guts to get in the ring and do battle with life.” James Clear
Build strong habits and stop depending on motivation.
Ultimately, motivation only takes you so far. It’s about having systems and habits that allow you to stay consistent in the long run.
Here are the sources for what I’ve learnt and hopefully shared effectively today; one thing is clear - we need to strengthen our grit to be tough when times get tough and push through our own mental barriers, and achieve true success.
TED talk; 6 types of grit; Clear on grit
Podcast of the week🎙️
Deep Dive with Ali Abdaal: Simple Hacks to Optimise Your Life - Chris Hutchins
It’s simply a good conversation - the guest has an engaging voice, a cool story and quite a few practice ‘hacks’ as well
Thing I’m grateful for this week 🙏
The cupcake given to our class by Mr Berwick, one of my maths teachers, for giving me a pick-me-up on Wednesday. More importantly, to Mr Berwick himself for being a stellar teacher over 5 years for me and 6 years overall.
Quote of the week 💬
You can't change and be somebody else in the future unless you start becoming a little better at being that future person today. Richie Norton
Last couple of days of school, will be strange and emotional. But first (if you’re in the UK) a Bank Holiday to enjoy to revise - can’t both be true?
Adi
Poem:
Pretty cool job title if you ask me